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Boeing executives said that, to reflect industry practice, it would now disclose all orders, including those that customers did not want revealed for strategic reasons. For those orders, it will withhold details such as customer names, aircraft models and prices paid.

The company announced it had received a new order from GE Capital Aviation Services for 20 new Boeing widebody jetliners in a deal worth $2.6 billion.

General Electric Co.'s aircraft leasing unit is buying 15 extended-range 767-300s and five 747-400 cargo jets. Deliveries of the jets are to begin in the fourth quarter of 2000.

Boeing Commercial Airplane Group president Alan Mulally said his division had received orders for 163 previously unannounced aircraft over the past 18 months, worth an estimated $9 billion. All would be tallied under 1999 announced orders, he said.

Boeing is getting tough competition from Europe's Airbus Industrie, the only other major manufacturer of commercial jets. Airbus has bragged that it has received more orders this year than Boeing, although the U.S. manufacturer says it delivers more far more planes.

Orders, which can be canceled and often are placed years in advance, indicate future business for plane makers. Deliveries are planes actually added to airline fleets, for which the manufacturers are fully paid.

Mulally said Boeing isn't changing the way it announces orders to respond to Airbus, but to "give a clearer picture to our shareholders and to people who are interested in The Boeing Co."

Boeing executives said the company is on track to deliver about 620 jetliners this year, surpassing last year's record deliveries of 563 planes.

Including today's announced orders, Boeing has 368 orders for 1999. Airbus has about 420 firm orders for the year.

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